Servant-Leadership In The Air Force

In The Case for Servant Leadership, author Dr. Kent M. Keith proposes that servant leadership is the most beneficial wholesome for a leadership model. Keith presents that the power leadership model does more harm than good, lacks problem solving, fails to grasp opportunities, and does not have the intention to create a better world unlike the service leadership model.

The Army is one of the nation’s most highly regarded institutions in America. This is due largely to the work ethic and the servant leadership qualities of the Non Commissioned Officer (NCO), which are the backbone of the Army. The term sergeant comes from the French word for servant. It is the type of leadership that all NCO’s should aspire to if they want to lead at any level. Servant Leadership is a term that seems like an oxymoron to most but it directly correlates to the Army Values and Soldier’s Ethos. This paper will examine the qualities and characteristics of servant leadership. How they relate to the army values and warrior’s ethos, and how this type of leadership can benefit the army. Finally, I will give examples from history of the leaders that modeled servant leadership.

One study found that servant leadership leads to higher levels of commitment to the supervisor and efficiency in work. My experience agrees with this finding. By exercising the four servant leadership practices mentioned above, I believe one will not just become a better leader, but also a better person as

Finally, this paper will address how the practice of servant leadership would affect everyone from the lowest enlisted men to the most senior flag officer and everyone else in-between. Leadership goes well beyond the following definition: “Leadership is the art of influencing and directing people in such a way as to obtain their willing obedience, confidence, respect and cooperation.” In fact, when it comes right down to it, “there are no quick and easy answers to becoming an effective and efficient leader.” Leadership is difficult and enduring work. It is a lifelong process of building and molding not only your skills but also the skills of your subordinates. In a society of instant gratification, we look for the quick fix. Yet the problem is the quick fix or plug and play solution, rarely serves the long-term goals of an organization.

There are many different leaders seen in society, one that brings many benefits to others with little regard for self, is a servant leader. A servant leader’s objective is to provide for the needs of others, materially and emotionally (Daft, 2017). Servant leaders serve others before serving their own self-interest, they listen, are trustworthy, and nourish the welfare of others (Daft, 2017). Servant leaders grow as individuals and leadership skills through

Throughout this past week I have had several misconceptions resolve regarding servant leadership that have resolved. The main misconception or preconception that I had was that servant leaders were pushovers and that they would have difficulty in leading others to reach a common goal. Through the readings that were assigned, specificially in chapter 6, I now understand that a servant leader values relationships with their follwers and by doing so that they can use the gained trust to influence them to reach a common goal (DelHousaye & Brewer, 2004). I had never really thought about how much influence played a part in the success of a leader until this class and yet I completely agree. I think back to the mangers that I have had

The shared themes discussed in these articles aligned with my thesis – caring for the least able, service before leading. Liden, Wayne, Chenwei, and Meuser (2014) suggest a servant leader must guide followers to emulate the leader’s behaviors by prioritizing the needs of others above the leaders'needs. Liden et al. (2014) further attest that servant leaders cultivate servant leadership attributes among those they lead, creating a serving culture which influences performance and enhances followers’ traits and skills through mediating influence of personal identification. For leaders to operate under ethical leadership framework, the leader must possess character, competence, and commitment. The leader must also lead by example, thrive on the

He further explains that servant leaders are not motivated by material possessions and are not usually driven to lead for the power that comes from the position (Greenleaf et al., 2002). Instead, the servant leader will ensure that the needs of their followers, the organization, or the community are met first and are treated with the utmost priority over their own needs (Greenleaf et al., 2002). Northouse (2016), also notes that servant leaders are attentive to the needs, concerns, and the wellbeing of their followers. Servant leadership also helps to promote employee satisfaction through helping them grow, succeed, and empowering them to be more independent and successful (Northouse,

Servant leaders possess a high level of ethical behavior and moral compass. Meaning, they conduct themselves in a manner in accordance with common principles that are considered legal. They distance yourself from using your grade or position as power or leverage. And they serve others by working toward the development of their goals for the common good of the team or unit. An example of a good servant leader is this Platoon Sergeant I once had. We were tasked establish an over-watch position and reconnaissance in front of the Brigade in order to prevent the element from being ambushed moving forward. This Platoon Sergeant sat on top of the OP scanning with the Recon III (Thermal, FLIR, Satellite optic) and listened to the radio while the platoon was at 25% security. And he did that all night then conducted missions the following day leaving him with less than five hours of sleep in a 40-hour time frame. This man sacrificed his rest cycle so that the platoon would be rested for the remainder of the field problem. This is what makes a servant leader in the

Servant leadership is a fundamental skill that is of great importance in today’s health care system. Servant leadership allows healthcare workers to effectively conquer challenges and promote teamwork during stressful situations. Servant leadership requires an individual to have authority with the people they are leading. It is a complex task to gain authority among people; I believe that an effective and important way to obtain authority is to show love to others. The book, The Servant by James C. Hunter describes love not as a feeling, but rather as a behavior or action towards people. As a leader, one might have good intentions, but without following up with the intended action, the leader loses authority. The act of love requires having

Servant leadership theory is defined as “A leader who leads by serving others, and place their employees’ interests and needs ahead of their own self-interests and needs, because they value building their communities, the development of their employees, acting authentically, and sharing power” (Grimsley, n.d., para. 1).

Servant leadership is defined as, the process through which a leader or even an organization, identify the need to serve others first, and then use this aspiration to lead others. It is more of a situation of serve-first then leads (Greenleaf, 2007). This concept is credited to Robert Greenleaf, who is said to be the ‘father’ of servant leadership. This type of leadership prioritizes on the need to use relevant leadership skills and techniques, so as to efficiently and effectively serve others. Servant leadership is closely related to the participative leadership style, where other people including employees, are involved in the decision-making process in an organization or even in a country (Hawkinson & Johnston, 2013).

Servant leadership is successful when leaders truly believe and act upon a desire to make their followers successful, through being honest and treating them as partners (PSU, 2014). Sinek gives us a great real world application of this by telling the story of Charlie Kim, the CEO of Next Jump. Next Jump is a tech company, of which there are thousands in the US, but what makes Next Jump stand out is it’s policy of lifetime employment. That’s right, no one gets fired. ever. In fact, if your performance is weak, extra time and resources are dedicated to coaching and helping you improve. As a leader, what better way to demonstrate your belief in and desire to make your followers successful, than a no fire

As a servant leader, one can get caught up tasks and become overwhelmed by the duties she feels obligated to perform. I feel a commitment to my team, my unit, and my hospital. After all, I grew up in that place. I was a mere twenty-three years-old when I entered through the doors for the first time. My baby, now twenty-two, was a tiny tot of two years.

The authors of the review state that they focused on providing an informed answer to how servant leadership works and how it could be applied in organisations. A systematic literature review was conducted with a final tally of 39 studies deemed appropriate for the exercise.